6 Biggest Mistakes Couples Make In Relationships

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Here are 6 warning signs that couples should be aware of before it’s too late.

1. You’d rather be right than in love .

As long as we’re talking about how to respond proactively when things go wrong, let’s just acknowledge that there will inevitably be times when your partner falls short, makes a mistake or just blows it. Even though it may seem justified in the moment, choosing a righteous response will only damage trust and create lingering resentment. Plus, it will teach them to stonewall, deny and argue, rather than simply apologize and admit a mistake in the future.

It’s critical and really smart to condition the behavior you want to see by using rewards and not punishment if you want a relationship that lasts. Take the high road and give your partner the benefit of the doubt, especially if they don’t expect or feel they deserve it. It really builds up appreciation, good will and a desire to do even better to please you next time.

Bottom line: whenever possible, give people a graceful way to save face when they screw up. Have the humility to apologize quickly if you’re the one who screws up. Both habits will go a very long way to creating and sustaining the love you deserve.

2. You take things personally and make it about you.

Human beings will usually try to meet their perceived needs, even if it occasionally means violating their values in some way. The truth is, it often has very little to do with anyone else because someone else’s needs simply aren’t as critical as your own needs. That makes sense, doesn’t it? That’s why it’s a huge waste of time and energy to demonize a partner’s actions and make them about you.

Choose to empathize with their needs instead. What better way to demonstrate maturity and your own value than by acknowledging that your partner has needs that also deserve to be met? Do your best to be the one who can help them meet them better than anyone else.

When you take things personally and get your feelings hurt too easily, it closes off communication, makes problem-solving nearly impossible and leaves you both at risk. Instead, be open to hearing what your partner wants and needs. Look for the common ground instead of the insult.

3. You focus more on what’s wrong rather than what’s right.

The fundamental truth in life is that humans tend to find what they look for in their world. Some people are convinced we’re on the path to immediate ruin, while others believe we’re living in the most exciting time to be alive in history.

Both opinions can point to outstanding arguments to support their premise. But how can they both be right when they live in the same world?

It’s because humans have an ability to live in a world of their own making, simply by choosing where we focus. This is also how you can keep your love alive and vibrant at the same time. You can focus on what a lazy, forgetful, good-for-nothing partner you have, or you can see them as a wonderful and loving partner who occasionally overlooks a request when they are distracted.

4. You don’t create a safe space for your partner to speak openly and just be.

I know many of these items seem to overlap, and that’s because they do cross over into one another. Bad habits and poor strategies that don’t work are a slippery slope to ruin. People have a need to be seen, heard, acknowledged and appreciated just as they are. They don’t want to be judged, manipulated or treated as if they’re wrong and broken.

Sometimes, people may think they need or want things that might be real dealbreakers for other people. But what they really needed all along was just the acceptance that came with simply hearing them out and not making them wrong. They key to remember is that as soon as you judge someone else, you lose all ability to influence them.

If you can accept people where they are and give them more unconditional love than they’ve ever felt in their lives, that’s the secret to an undying love. Think about it: Why would someone risk losing the greatest partner they’ve ever had? Someone who also happens to always see the absolute best in them, even when they, themselves, temporarily lose sight of it. That is a powerful attribute and really, really tough to ever leave.

5. You put other people or things ahead of your relationship .

What you fail to celebrate will eventually deteriorate. A relationship, like all living things, needs nurturing, care and ongoing nourishment if you want it to not only survive, but thrive. Too often, we get hypnotized by random unfinished business, never-ending demands, and the shiny objects of a 24/7 media world.

The key here is instituting rituals, because good intentions pave the way to breakups, or even worse, divorce court. If you value what you have, institute a regular date night ritual or a bedtime ritual — like a nightly gratitude check-in or just couples time.

This is not a time to vent or complain. It’s a time to connect, wind down and fill one another up for the next day. If that seems too overwhelming to do on a daily basis, just try it once for a week or a month. The idea is to build a habit and muscle. You don’t get in great shape by going to a gym once. It’s the culmination of many trips that gives you the results you want.

6. You expect your partner to think and act exactly like you.

Do you know the root cause of nearly every argument between a couple in relationship? It’s about some sort of discrepancy between their individual values, beliefs, habits or expectations. That’s it. In order to be successful long-term, it’s important to be on similar pages regarding some of life’s most important topics. It’s also worth remembering that a relationship is between two individuals.

Give your partner room to have their own opinions and views without trying to change them or manipulate them to your way of thinking. Effective partnership is really about voluntarily becoming a team because you recognize that together, you are better than the sum of your parts.

When it comes to reconciling your differences, you really only have three good choices: you can either celebrate them, mitigate them or obliterate them. Which one would you prefer?